


Take a Leave of Absence

by CitrusVanille



Series: I Do Confess, It's The Mess That Feels So Right [18]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Evil, Boy-Who-Lived Neville Longbottom, Jealous Harry Potter, M/M, Slytherin Harry Potter, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22707523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CitrusVanille/pseuds/CitrusVanille
Summary: Harry just wanted to be alone. Really.
Relationships: Neville Longbottom/Harry Potter
Series: I Do Confess, It's The Mess That Feels So Right [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/302070
Comments: 7
Kudos: 127





	Take a Leave of Absence

The sun’s setting fast behind the mountains by the time Harry hears the crunch of feet on frost-covered grass. He doesn’t bother to turn, even when a warm body settles down on the cold rock beside him, close enough that their shoulders press together.

“Did someone invite you?” he asks, words sharp in the chill.

“Not in so many words, no,” Neville replies easily, warm breath sending up small clouds of visible air.

Harry snorts, but doesn’t bother to say anything else, just watches the blaze of color that lights the sky in a glory of reds, oranges, and pinks before fading to grey then blue, stars appearing slowly overhead as the air gets colder.

It’s beautiful, Harry thinks, in the wild way only nature can be. Which is probably too sentimental a thought for a Slytherin, but it’s not like anyone is going to know, and it’s the truth. He can’t really feel his toes, but this. This is worth it.

“Fucking freezing,” Neville says eventually, breaking the silence. It’s more comment than complaint, but it still feels a little bit like a passing down of judgment.

“No one asked you to stay out here,” Harry reminds him, and if it comes out a little catty, who the fuck cares. It _is_ freezing out, and he maybe wanted to be alone. That’s why he came here, after all. If Neville was the only one who would think to look for him here, it’s not like that means anything. Harry didn’t force him to come, and he certainly didn’t force him to stay. “Why don’t you go somewhere warm,” he suggests testily. “Your common room would probably serve that purpose quite admirably. I’m sure your girlfriend would be thrilled to see you.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Neville says, and the fucker actually sounds like he’s trying not to laugh.

“Yeah, all right,” Harry mutters, refuses to look over.

Neville huffs what sounds like a sigh, says, “Happy Valentine’s Day – Harry,” and leans a little harder on Harry’s shoulder.

Harry starts at the use of his name – it sounds so odd, Neville almost never uses it, and never like this, when they’re not in the middle of something – but forces himself to relax. “Yeah,” he says again. He doesn’t add anything, but neither of them moves for a long time.


End file.
